Crazy? Brave? Drunk? What drives Pamplona's bull runners?

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Thrill-seekers run with bulls in Spain

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Running of the Bulls in Pamplona has attracted more tourists in recent years

Event generates enormous publicity for Pamplona

Four people injured on first day of this year's bull run

Some call it courage, others madness.

Still others attribute it just to excessive alcohol.

Whatever their motivation, thousands of daredevils from across the globe were on the streets of Pamplona, Spain, on Sunday testing their nerve by sprinting through the city streets in front of six huge, charging bulls.

Risking injury at the horns of a frantic, three-quarter-ton creature may not sound like everyone's idea of a pleasant vacation.

Yet the legendary, centuries-old Running of the Bulls in Pamplona -- part of the annual San Fermín Festival -- has attracted more and more tourists to this small, northern Spanish city in recent years.

La Pamplona Gallery 5 photos

La Pamplona Gallery5 photos

Race starts with rockets – At 8 a.m. sharp, rockets are fired to signal the start of the Bull Run. Six fighting bulls are released from their pen. Humans and bulls then begin a mad race through the cobbled streets of Pamplona, ending up in the central bull ring.

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La Pamplona Gallery5 photos

Outside the ring – The entire run covers 850 meters and is usually finished in just more than 3 minutes. This year's first run took 4 minutes and 6 seconds, a relatively long time compared with previous years. The cause of the delay? A bull left outside the ring as people blocked its path.

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La Pamplona Gallery5 photos

Death in the afternoon – Once inside the bull ring, the animals face matadors in afternoon bullfights. The bulls will almost certainly meet their deaths in the ring.

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La Pamplona Gallery5 photos

Spanish symbol – The Running of the Bulls -- part of the annual San Fermín Festival -- has become a popular symbol of Spanish culture, attracting thousands of tourists a year.

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La Pamplona Gallery5 photos

Risk of goring – Most injuries result from being trampled by the crowd or the bulls, rather than being gored. Last year, of the 38 participants hospitalized at the end of the run, four had been gored. Hundreds of people were treated at the scene for mild injuries.

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EXPAND GALLERY

What's the attraction?

There's no longer a practical need to herd the bulls through the city streets to the bull ring in the center of town.

The frenetic race is maintained because it's fantastic publicity for Pamplona, as well as one of the world's most memorable tests of bravery and agility.

Amazing and scary

So, what's your chance of injury?

Not as high as the fearful-looking contest might suggest.

On the first day of this year's bull run, among the thousands of runners, only four were treated for injuries.

But maybe they're counting themselves lucky, showing off their bruises as a mark of courage.

After all, it's a sign they almost certainly weren't hiding in a doorway as the bulls thundered past.